* * *
“There is no point fretting,” Bellusdeo said sharply as she settled herself into the carriage.
“Why can’t we walk?”
“It will take longer and I need to cool down before I see anything else that annoys me.”
“Diarmat?”
“Everything. The constant reminders of my uselessness.”
“No one said—” Kaylin stopped herself. She understood how Bellusdeo felt because it was clear that Diarmat considered her exactly that. She was not, in his opinion, a member of the Dragon Court, because the vows necessary to join it would never in a million years be uttered by Bellusdeo.
“Exactly. You’re certain the Keeper is expecting you?”
“As in, to show up right now? Probably not. He won’t throw me out, and he won’t throw you out, either. He probably won’t offer me any cookies.”
“He’ll probably offer you something, given the noise your stomach is making.”
* * *
Evanton did not answer the door, but that was no longer surprising. Grethan did. Grethan, however, was dressed in a fine blue robe that was similar to the robe Evanton wore whileinthe garden. His eyes were the Tha’alani color of relief—not quite gold, but not quite calm, either.
Kaylin stared at him; the familiar fled, as always, to the apprentice’s shoulders. “Is everything okay?”
Grethan shook his head. The Tha’alani were not among nature’s liars, and Grethan, cut off from their group mind for the majority of his life, had nonetheless not fared much better. Under Evanton’s tutelage, he’d given up trying. The Tha’alani didn’t hide.
They didn’t need to hide.
“Something’s upset the elemental water. It’s—”
“It’s not storming around the garden, is it?” She thought of the first time Mandoran had entered the Keeper’s domain and shuddered.
“N-no. The water is talking to Evanton, but...it’s kind of agitated. We’re kind of hoping to avoid a flood.”
She remembered the flooding in the rest of the building, as well, and glanced back at Bellusdeo.
“Do not even think it. Anything you can survive, I can survive.” Bellusdeo had a killer glare, which was leveled, all orange-eyed, at Kaylin.
“I was just thinking you don’t particularly like swimming or almost drowning. And your clothing might get wrecked.”
“I’m not the one who has to answer to the quartermaster, you are.”
“Fine. But don’t blame anything on me, okay?”
Bellusdeo chuckled. “If I wanted to do that, I’d have to stand in line. A very long line.”
* * *
Grethan led them down the rickety, narrow hall that pretty much forced visitors to walk single file.
“Why are you wearing that robe, anyway?”
“Evanton thought it might calm the water.”
“Pardon?”
“The color. And the gesture of respect.”
